User interfaces for an embedded or a proprietary computer system (e.g., a patient monitor interface for medical use), or a non-embedded or non-proprietary system (e.g., a windows browser), often have a user interface focus element. FIG. 1 shows, for example, a user interface graphical display 100 similar to that of a well-known Microsoft Windows® operating system. Display 100 is shown having a currently focused icon such as “Small Icons” 102 command selection in the “View” command pop down list 101. As a user moves a cursor 130 up and down list 101, an item in the list 101 that is pointed to by cursor 130 will be highlighted. For example, the currently focused icon 102 is typically highlighted or made conspicous in some way by changing its attribute, such as, for example, by inversing the text, making it a different color or adding an outline box, etc., to indicate that the element is enabled to be acted upon.
In the example of FIG. 1, highlight of icon 102 is shown as, for example, having a different background color, which is represented by a darkened background shading in the black and white rendering of FIG. 1. The highlighted icon 102 may then be acted on by a further user confirmation input (e.g. via a mouse click or enter key depression).
In addition, when searching on the world wide web, a search engine site may automatically highlight a word that a user has entered to make a search, when a found web page matching the search word is being displayed. This would allow a user to easily scroll through the found web page to better locate the portion of interest on the web page.